Letters To The Editor

As a member of the Icelandic-American Association of Hampton Roads, I would like to comment on the March 6 article, "Traditions of Iceland come out at winter festival," by Kirk Saville.

Saville must have paid particular attention to the primitive food that rarely is eaten in Iceland anymore, but still is part of the "Thorrablot" celebration. If Saville would have mentioned some of the real delicacies served at this banquet, it would have given a clearer picture of our "Thorrablot" get-together.

Saville's coverage of this festival was in very poor taste. Numerous other members of the association whom I have spoken to have expressed their disappointment in the way this article was written.

K. B. McRainey

Hampton

SPEEDING TRUCKS

Recently, on a trip to Southwest Virginia, we were often in traffic going 75 mph or more. At times big tractor-trailers passed us.

Since the speed limit is 65 for cars and 55 for trucks, that means the trucks were going 20 mph over the limit.

We never saw a truck being stopped for speeding, although we did note some cars had been pulled over by the police.

If I drive 20 mph in excess of the limit, I would expect to be arrested and probably taken, at once, to the courthouse.

Now, having urged strict enforcement of the speed limits, I may be one of the first to be ticketed. If so, I would like the police to know I think they are all fine people, just trying to do their job.

Paul S. Hudgins

Williamsburg

BUTT OUT

The March 6 article by Stephen Chapman sounds like one paid for by the tobacco industry. His argument that laws restricting smoking invade our liberty could be in the same vein of all laws that protect the welfare of citizens, like traffic lights. His one telling argument for smoking is that smokers die earlier and save the government in Social Security payments.

Dr. Louis Sullivan is to be encouraged to go further and take tobacco off the market. It is one of the worst drugs when it comes to birth defects, cancer, lung diseases.

I hope he will move from tobacco to alcohol and declare this drug for what it is and remove it from the market as well. Chapman will probably laugh at this suggestion, but does he laugh at those whom alcohol has made captive and the multitude of deaths connected with this drug, which is killing not only the addicted but innocent people?

W. J. B. Livingston

Yorktown

Christians awake

I'm responding to Eugene P. Moser Jr.'s Feb. 27 letter.

I believe it was God's holy plan that America be a Christian nation, not an atheist, humanist nation. My ad stated we need to put Christ back into public schools. In my school years I remember Christian teachers praying. I remember reading the Bible. I remember celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ in school music, school plays and drama. It was called "Christmas." Today they substituted Christmas with "Happy Holiday."

Moser talked about freedom of religion for Jewish, Moslem, Hindu, Buddhist or Shinto prayers in schools. I have no problem allowing any of the above to pray to their god. I am saying let Christian young people be free to pray to Jesus Christ.

If young people had the holy spirit of Jesus Christ, they would not be involved in drugs, alcohol, rape and murder. Morality would be at a high point, not a low point in the attitude of the minds of our youth.

Today more than ever young people need a living God. We ought to give back to them the same rights and privileges we once had.

Christians, you need to know we are losing America.

Let me add something else. In school we always were proud to salute the American flag. We respected it. We never thought of burning it because we love America and what it stands for.

Paul K. Lotz

Newport News

WHEN'S PAYDAY?

Most major corporations strongly suggest their employees use the direct deposit program. Most major banks agree this is the way to bank.

Let's use Virginia's largest single employer, Newport News Shipbuilding, as an example. It strongly suggests its employees use the direct deposit system with the bank of their choice. If Newport News Shipbuilding mails the checks to its hourly salary people, the checks arrive on Thursday (in the local Peninsula area). So, in this case, you know your payday is Thursday.

Now let's discuss when your payday is if you use direct deposit. All local banks give you a different answer when you ask, "When is my shipyard check posted?" Let's break them down by bank name in the local area: